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Directors Guild of Canada signs collective agreement with National Film Board

TORONTO, May 6 /CNW/ - Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and the National
Film Board of Canada (NFB) are pleased to announce that they have entered into
a collective agreement. Sturla Gunnarsson, DGC president, and Tom Perlmutter,
Government Film Commissioner and National Film Board of Canada Chairperson,
hosted a signing ceremony in Toronto this morning to formalize the new
agreement.
"This is an historic agreement, which recognizes the central role a
director plays in shaping the creative vision of a film," said acclaimed
director Sturla Gunnarsson. "For the first time, Canadian documentary and
animation directors and assistant directors will enjoy the protection and
benefits of a comprehensive collective agreement."
"The National Film Board, probably more than any organization, supports
the work of directors," said Tom Perlmutter. "Over the course of 70 years we
have provided the creative and material safe haven that has allowed creators
to bring their unique, necessary visions to the screen for the benefit of
Canadians. We are delighted to sign this agreement with the Directors Guild,
as it will give filmmakers the ability to place all their energies into
creation, with a clearer understanding of their working conditions."
The DGC and NFB are pleased to have reached a deal that respects the
NFB's public service mandate and is equitable for both organizations. "We are
hoping to use this agreement as an organizing tool or a template to help other
directors in the private sector who do not have union protection," said Brian
Baker, DGC Director of Directors' Affairs.
The full agreement is available for viewing here: www.dgc.ca
About the Directors Guild of Canada
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a national labour organization
that represents key creative and logistical personnel in the film, television
and digital media industries. Its membership includes over 3,800 individuals
drawn from 47 different craft and occupational categories covering all areas
of direction, production, editing and design of film, television and digital
media production in Canada.
About the National Film Board
The world changes, our stories live on - that's the National Film Board
of Canada's pledge to Canadians as it marks its 70th anniversary in 2009 with
a new national online Screening Room and a slate of bold, innovative
productions. Canada's public film producer and distributor, the NFB produces
and distributes social-issue documentaries, auteur animation, alternative
drama and digital content that provide the world with a unique Canadian
perspective. In collaboration with its international partners and
co-producers, the NFB is expanding the vocabulary of 21st-century cinema and
breaking new ground in form and content through community filmmaking projects,
cross-platform media, interactive cinema, stereoscopic animation - and more.
Since the NFB's founding in 1939, it has created over 13,000 productions and
won over 5,000 awards, including 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To watch
over 1,000 productions online or for more information, visit NFB.ca.
/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on
the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca.
Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive
website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited
members of the media/